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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2014; 20(31): 10802-10812
Published online Aug 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i31.10802
Prognostic factors related with survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Ahmet Bilici
Ahmet Bilici, Department of Medical Oncology, Medical Faculty, Istanbul Medipol University, 34214 Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey
Author contributions: Bilici A designed and wrote the highlight topic.
Correspondence to: Ahmet Bilici, MD, Department of Medical Oncology, Medical Faculty, Istanbul Medipol University, TEM Avrupa Otoyolu Goztepe Cikisi No: 1, 34214 Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey. ahmetknower@yahoo.com
Telephone: +90-532-5280486 Fax:+90-216-4422947
Received: October 26, 2013
Revised: January 27, 2014
Accepted: April 8, 2014
Published online: August 21, 2014
Processing time: 298 Days and 14.7 Hours
Abstract

The prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer is poor and this cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although surgical resection is the only curative treatment of choice for pancreatic cancer, the majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, thus only 10%-15% of them are suitable for curative resection and the overall survival is less than 5%. Chemotherapy for metastatic disease is to palliate symptoms of patients and to improve survival. Therefore, prognostic factors are important and a correct definition of poor prognostic factors may help to guide more aggressive adjuvant or aggressive treatment protocols in patients with pancreatic cancer. This article reviews the prognostic factors affecting survival of patients with pancreatic cancer in the light of recent advances in the literature.

Keywords: Pancreatic cancer; Prognostic factors; Survival; Carbohydrate antigen 19-9; Treatment

Core tip: The overall prognosis associated with pancreatic cancer has not improved over the last 20 years, even if new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have emerged. Thus, investigations on predictive factors in pancreatic cancer are needed because these factors should have predictive value in relation to longer survival after surgery than after palliative treatment.Prognostic factors are important and a correct definition of poor prognostic factors may help to guide more aggressive adjuvant or aggressive treatment protocols in patients with pancreatic cancer.